Rise of the Runelords

The party turned their attention to the Seven’s Sawmill, and learned it was one of the oldest sawmills in Magnimar, located astride the Yondabakari river as it runs past Kyver’s Islet to the Varisian Sea. Uriel Carnesir set about procuring a Holy weapon with borrowed funds, and set his newly acquired squire, Pike, to the task of watching the Sawmill. Even with Pike and Jal Thung trading shifts, no useful information came to light. The Sawmill seemed a sawmill, albeit with an unusually light amount of activity.

Deciding to investigate further, Azike Barca swam out to the mill, hoping to gain covert entry and scout out the building. Unfortunately for the ascetic warrior, the currents near the Sawmill’s multiple water wheels proved too much, and he was drawn into the churning gears that powered the mill. Trapped, beaten, and crushed, Azike was barely able to escape with his life, and returned sullenly to shore, adding nothing new to the party’s knowledge of the mill.

Without learning anything new in two days, the party resolved themselves to entering the mill as soon as possible, voting down the over-prudent Uriel who advised patience. Making their way to the Mill, the party was unable to locate Pike, who had been on surveillance duty, and discussed their strategy at length. Finally approving the course of action suggested by Uriel and Sevastyan the party was magically enabled to breath water by the paladin priest, and made their way up the log chutes into the 1st story of the building.

Despite their best efforts, the party was almost immediately discovered by a group of workers, who donned masks made of humanoid skins and drew war razors at the site of the intruders. So revealing themselves as clearly evil, and possibly connected to the foxglove affair, they were beset by our heroes. Causing a mass of grasping tentacles to burst from the floor, Sevastyan disabled the bulk of the cultists while the rest of the party slew the apparent leader. As the party searched the floor, they were attacked by additional cultists from a stairway, but Jal’s arrows, and Azike’s fists proved more than a match for the hapless murderers.

At this point the party sent two scouts, Azike up the stairs and Jal down, to get the lay of the land. Jal found the lower level empty, but Azike discovered a group of cultists around a single unconscious form and returned to inform the party. Thus prepared for battle, Uriel took the lead, casting an area of magical Silence around his foes to sow confusion and give his fellows the upper hand. Azike, headless of danger, charged past the warrior priest and struck at the cultist with a flurry…no, just a regular series of blows. Not a flurry. The monk was soon surrounded and began to take telling blows.

The full party struck. Sevastyan casting a transmutation to slow the movements of their enemies, Jal loosing his arrows, and Wrent Sunderer charging headlong to the fray. Unfortunately for the barbarous warrior, a quick-witted cultist aimed a crippling blow as Wrent passed, and cut him deeply to the spine. With their primary fighter impaired and the Monk fully surrounded, the situation seemed grim. As Uriel rushed to Azike’s aid, hammer falling left and right, Sevastyan conjured a flaming sphere, hoping to push back the mass of cultists. Unfortunately, the sawmill floor was covered in deep sawdust and a fire sprung quickly out of control.

For a time, the fire served to further impede the movement of the cultists, and the party was able to turn the tide, but soon Uriel’s full attention was required on conjuring gallons and gallons of water to dowse the burning sawdust and prevent the blaze from engulfing the building. Just when things seemed to be coming under control, three horrific fiends appeared and began attacking the party. Uriel’s religious studies allowed him to identify these fleshy beings as Lemures, demons unaffected by fire. Unfortunately he was unable to inform the party before Sevastyan ran across the fiery room in an attempt to put the flames between himself and danger and Azike loosed a Ki-power bolt of flame to no effect.

Luckily, Uriel called upon the divine power of Iomedae to place a magic circle around him as a barrier to the foul demons. This afforded those close to Uriel the chance to regroup and fight back, and Jal took full advantage, loosing arrow after arrow with startling speed. Just then, a large human male in long robes entered the room and struck furiously at Wrent. The situation remained dire as Sevastyan found himself ensnared by a grasping Lemure and Wrent, hobbled by his injuries provided little assistance. In desperation the young Wizard was able to squirm from the Lemure’s grasp and fled within the magic circle, quickly calling upon angelic aid.

As Jal dispatched the last of the Lemures and Azike struck repeatedly at the tall man, a Hound Archon, summoned by Sevastyan’s magic appeared behind the final adversary and lent his aid to bringing him down. The master cultist proved a difficult challenge however, shrugging off Uriel’s attempts at psychic domination and easily dodging the Earthbreaker lobbed by Wrent. Moving to dispatch the clumsy barbarian, the cultist passed too close to Azike, who rendered him unconscious with a solid strike of the palm of his hand.

As Wrent and Azike manacled and searched the cultist, Sevastyan summoned a being of elemental water to douse the flames that Uriel had been fighting furiously. Tragedy thus averted, the party searched the rest of the mill, finding an office that contained a grisly collection of humanoid faces mounted on one wall like trophies. A chest was found within the office filled with books, drawings, a painting and, much to Sevastyan’s delight, a spellbook. Above the office was a rookery, containing three ravens and parchment for writing messages. Sevastyan decided to loose a raven and fly after it while the rest of the party carried their prisoner and the evidence to the Temple to inform the church of the murderous cult they had unearthed.

Flying after the released raven, Sevastyan saw it alight upon a strange tower in Underbridge, but chose not to go near until he could inform the party.

After the utter destruction of the Misgivings by a great swarm of crows, it was decided the party should venture to Magnimar, to investigate greater controlling influences in Aldern’s ghastly business. After a period of rest, the party took to the road, with Uriel leaving two days in advance for reasons all his own.

Upon arriving at the great metropolis, the members of the company each went his own way. Uriel reported to his superiors and secured lodgings and a new weapon from the Church of Iomedae. Sevastyan went to see his family, an occasion that should have been filled with joy, but discovered his youngest sister had been the victim of a gruesome murder, the details of which were all too familiar. The young wizard’s poor father was in failing health, his heart broken by the thought of his child’s last tortured moments, and Sevastyan hurried to rejoin the party, his own heartache stayed only by resolve. The Mayhem brothers and Azike went to investigate the great stadium of Serpent’s Run. While disappointed that the day’s entertainment was a Magician of some renown, rather than the more usual violence, Wrent, at least, soon became quite enthused, leaving the venue wearing an impressive collection of merchandise.

Regrouping the next day, the party decided to investigate the manor of Aldern Foxglove once night had descended. After some indecision, and a brief run-in with local law enforcement, Azike was able to climb the building, enter a window, and let in the party. The group discovered what appeared to be Aldern Foxglove and his wife Iesha, reading in the library. Not one to let confusing situations or…thoughts stay his hand, Uriel rushed in to attack and soon the battle was joined. As it turns out, the two creatures were outsiders, taking the forms of Aldern and Iesha in order to study the material plane. Having dispatched these strange creatures, the party discovered a deed to the Misgivings, naming the Brothers of the Seven as primary financiers of the estate and as the party to which the property would revert after Vorel Foxgloves death, or a period of one hundred years. Additionally, a note revealed Aldern was making regular payments to the Seven’s Sawmill on Kyvers Islet every Oath Day for “Iesha’s Travels”.

The party took their leave of the manor, deciding to investigate the sawmill shortly.

Aldern—
You have served us quite well. The delivery you harvested from the caverns far exceeds what I had hoped for. You may consider your debt to the Brothers paid in full. Yet I still have need of you, and when you awaken from your death, you should find your mind clear and able to understand this task more than in the state you lie in as I write this.
You shall remember the workings of the Sihedron ritual, I trust. You seemed quite lucid at the time, but if you find after your rebirth that you have forgotten, return to your townhouse in Magnimar. My agents shall contact you there soon—no need for you to bother the Brothers further. I will provide the list of proper victims for the Sihedron ritual in two days’ time. Commit that list to memory and then destroy it before you begin your work. The ones I have selected must be marked before they die, otherwise they do my master no good and the greed in their souls will go to waste. If others get in your way, though, you may do with them as you please. Eat them, savage them, or turn them into pawns—it matters not to me.
—Your Mistress, Wanton of Nature’s Pagan Forms

During the night, Uriel was plagued by strange visions of angels and monsters. He awoke firmly believing that he had received a direct message from his patron Goddess Iomedae. But, what did it mean? While Uriel headed to the Cathedral searching for answers, Sevastyan and Azike made their way back to the Turandarok Academy, where Azike introduced Sevastyan to Ilsoari Gandethus. The two spoke of adventuring and agreed to meet later in the day for tea to discuss the subject. While all of this was going on,

Mighty Wrent was mighty hungover and spent the morning haphazardly learning his lines for his performance in Cyrdrak Drokkus’s play. Jal perked up immensely when townsfolk began gossiping that the target of his intentions, Shalelu Andosana had been seen entering the town albeit in a ragged state. Shortly after lunch, Uriel, Jal, and Azike met with Belor Hemlock, Kendra Deverin, and Shalelu to discuss her findings while Wrent went to the Theater to begin rehearsals and Sevastyan swapped spells with Headmaster Gandethus.

Shalelu confirmed fears that the local tribes of goblins seem to have indeed united and are growing more brazen in their raids of local territories. Sheriff Hemlock informed the party that he and several townguards were leaving immediately for Magnimar to request additional support and he requested that the heroes remain a presence in Sandpoint at least until his return.

That evening the party enjoyed VIP seating in the theater where they witnessed Wrent’s less than stellar performance. Fortunately for the young barbarian, before the crowd could begin jeering at his odious (or odorous?) performance the theater was attacked by a squad of goblins who had managed to sneak up into the rafters and nearly burned the whole building down with their fireworks. Our heroes sprang into action and were able to crush the intruders suffering only one civilian casualty. After several rounds of drinks at the Cracktooth Tavern, everyone retired to a curiously silent Rusty Dragon.

The next morning, they awoke to find a still empty Rusty Dragon. Very soon however, they were approached by a very nervousBethana Corwin who informed them that she had been unable to find Ameiko Kaijitsu, and even more troubling, had discovered a note to Ameiko from her estranged half-brother Tsuto Kaijitsu. The note asked Ameiko to meet him at their father’s glassworks at midnight.

An investigation of the glassworks yielded disturbing results. All of the workers had been gruesomely murdered by goblins and Lonjiku Kaijitsu had also been slain and encased in sheets of glass. After an intense battle with a group of goblins, the heroes chased the two remaining survivors down into the basement of the glassworks where they were ambushed by Tsuto. It was during this encounter that our heroes were truly tested, for Tsuto proved to be a formidable combatant. Fortunately, they prevailed. A quick search revealed a key that quickly led our heroes Ameiko. More disturbing than battered visage was a diary Tsuto had been keeping detailing horrible plans to attack Sandpoint with a large force. The diary also revealed that the mastermind behind the troubled events was none other than Nualia Tobyn. Our heroes are now rallying and preparing themselves for a new confrontation against a quasit that Tsuto indicated was living under the city , somewhere in the tunnels beneath the Glassworks!

The morning following the Swallowtail Festival, Our party awoke to find that news of their valor had swept the town like wildfire. Koya Mvashti arrived at the Rusty Dragon with a letter to Uriel. It was penned by Father Abstalar Zantus and requested the party’s presence at the consecration of the cathedral. Following a much more somber ceremony, the party met with Father Zantus and Sheriff Belor Hemlock, who asked for their assistance in investigating the tomb of Ezakien Tobyn, which had been desecrated during the previous day’s attack.

The tomb yielded frightening discoveries! The entirety of the boneyard was covered in small tracks as well as one humanoid pair of footprints. Jal easily analyzed the scene and informed the heroes that there were 6 pairs of goblin tracks as well as one humanoid that had scaled the wall of the boneyard and headed into the tomb. The tomb itself yielded 3 skeleton warriors who gave our heroes a fair amount of trouble until Uriel, calling upon the purifying might of Iomedae, Smote their Ruin in a blaze of Holy Fire. Following the battle, the party quickly perceived that Father Tobyn’s sarcophagus was empty. Pondering the implications of this and fearing the possibility of necromantic ritual, the party discussed with Sheriff Hemlock possibilities and speculated that perhaps the raid on the town had been orchestrated to mask this ghastly deed!

After the excitement of the morning, everyone split up. Azike sought out the Turandarok Academy, a school/orphanage run by a kind headmaster named Ilsoari Gandethus. Ilsoari showed Azike his modest personal museum of trophies from his days as an adventurer and agreed to Azike’s offer to train the children in some basic martial arts sometime in the near future.

Meanwhile, The brothers Jal and Wrent went looking for some honest work. They visited the lumber mill and spoke to Banny Harker about working the night shift at the mill. As they traversed around town, Wrent was approached by Cyrdrak Drokkus about taking a minor role in the Harpy’s Curse, a play that he was currently running. Wrent agreed to memorize three lines and would give one performance on Thursday for 5 gold pieces and free VIP seats for his friends.

That night, the party met with Aldern Foxglove, who invited them to join him on a boar hunt the next morning. He also purchased horses for Azike, Uriel, and Sevastyan to thank them for saving his life.

On Tuesday, the group set off on an exciting hunt that nearly turned fatal for Azike. Fortunately for him, Sevastyan was able to subdue the beast with his magical abilities.
After a successful hunt, they returned to the Rusty Dragon where they were greeted with cheers from hungry patrons. While dining on succulent roast boar, the heroes witnessed a tense and dramatic fight when Lonjiku Kaijitsu entered the Dragon and began cursing and fighting with his daughter Ameiko Kaijitsu. Lonjiku demanded that Ameiko leave with him at once for Magnimar or he would disown her. The resulting altercation ended with Ameiko smashing her father with a soup ladle effectively ending her inheritance.

On Wednesday, Sevastyan was approached by a seductive young girl. Shayliss Vinder asked him to assist her with some rats in the basement of her family’s general store. When the naive wizard accompanied her to the basement, he was pounced upon by the young girl who had less than chaste intentions. Unfortunately for Sevastyan, Ven Vinder, the girl’s father discovered the lovers and threatened Sevastyan with a beating he probably deserved. Sevastyan has sinced discovered that people around town are starting to look at him with expressions that convey less than awe.

Uriel spent the day investigating Father Tobyn. The Cleric learned that while it is commonly held that Father Tobyn, Nualia Tobyn, and several acolytes perished in the fire that claimed the church five years ago, not all of the bodies were recovered. He also discovered that Nualia, an Aasimar, was Tobyn’s adopted daughter and that her body was one of those unaccounted for following the blaze.

After realizing that long hard hours of work nightly wasn’t for them, the brothers decided to explore some of the local taverns. They visited the Hagfish, where owner Jargie Quinn gave them free drinks to thank them for saving the town and promptly challenged Wrent to drink a flagon of water from his pet hagfish Norah’s tank. To the joy of all the patrons, Wrent accepted and was able to hold down the vile liquid, even managing to win a hefty purse of prize money and now holds a place honor with his name carved into the central beam of the Hagfish. Unfortunately for him, he spent the rest of the day completly sick and retching.

That evening, the party was approached by a terrified citizen of Sandpoint. Amele Barrett told them of a goblin that had burst forth from a closet and attacked her son. After investigating the child’s room, they discovered the body of his father. Almost immediately, the enraged goblin attacked but was easily dispatched by Uriel and Jal while Wrent profusely vomited in the corner. This presents somewhat of a problem for the Barbarian since he has spent the last several days carousing and has not managed to learn or practice his lines for the play which takes place TOMORROW!!!

The Party arrived in the town of Sandpoint, where they discovered a festival was underway to celebrate the completion of a New Cathedral. They watched several of Sandpoint’s prominent citizens make speeches and then wandered the town. Most of our heroes participated in games of chance (except for Wrent, who was above such frivolity). Meanwhile, Uriel chose to explore the New Cathedral. He found it to be quite lovely (even though it was not devoted to Iomedae). His most interesting discovery was a courtyard containing seven ancient stones. Although he could not glean much information about them, he did detect that they were extremely ancient. The festival continued with lunch, which was provided by local merchants and tavern owners. After lunch, Father Abstalar Zantus stood to give a speech but was interrupted when a raiding party of goblins entered Sandpoint, wreaking havoc, attacking bystanders, and burning the town.

After dispatching two waves of goblins, the heroes proceeded north where they encountered a goblin commando and his lackeys who were in the process of attacking a very well-dressed and terrified civilian. It was a mighty battle before the Goblin leader was finally slain.

The party was then profusely thanked by the man who identified himself as Aldern Foxglove, a Magnimarian noble. He was extremely grateful to the party, particularly towards Azike who had distinguished himself quite well in the battle. He told them he would be staying at the Rusty Dragon for a few more days and implored them to seek him out so that he may properly thank them for saving his life. As the town secured its borders and cleared out the remaining raiders, the party approached the marketplace where Mayor Kendra Deverin thanked them for their deeds and publicly praised them to all who would hear. They spoke with Sheriff Belor Hemlock, who asked for their assistance in interrogating a captured goblin. On the way there, they encountered Ameiko Kaijitsu who generously offered them free room and board at the Rusty Dragon for a week as reward for their valor and bravery. The party then proceeded to the jail where they questioned a less than cooperative goblin before finally calling it a night and travelling to the Rusty Dragon to retire from a monumental day.